Shoulder pad



June 18, 1946. NlgHoLs 2,402,292

SHOULDER PAD Filed Sept. 25, 1944 Beer/s 11/70/043,

ATTO RN EY.

INVENTOR.

Patented June 18, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- SHOULDER PAD Bertie Nichols, Los ,Angeles, Calif.,' assignor to Robert S. Miller and Harold L. Grubman, Los

Angeles, Calif.

Application September 25, 1944, Serial No. 555,676

5 Claims. 1

bination with the brassire, which contains a Dad or hat of soft material for giving-the device substantialthickness, the bat being held in place by an arrangement of the fabric comprising the shoulder pad in such manner that the bat is secured in place as long as the shoulder pad remains in place on the shoulder of a wearer.

'Also among the objects" of my invention i to provide a shoulder pad adapted to be worn in combination with a brassire which is made entirely of fabric thereby eliminating the necessity for incorporating a metal fastener element into the garment but in which the fabric is so designed that a pocket for holding a thick bat of soft material is firmly closed whenever the garment is worn and can be readily opened for removal of the bat any time when the garment is removed. With these and other objects in view my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination, of the various parts of my device whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, point ed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view in perspective of the com- 2 styled garment itself a foundation garment such as the shoulder pad here described becomes advantageous. To keep the foundation garment as simple as possible it has been further found adbined brassiere and shoulder build-up pad shown in place upon a wear r.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the device to the anatomy of the figure and certain parts need to be exaggerated.

There has been a change in the trend of style for certain types of ladies apparel which demands a wide straight shoulder effect. -So as to make it unnecessary to build the effect into the vantageous to incorporate it into a brassire of the type customarily worn so that the shoulder pad comprises a part of the shoulder strap of the brassiere.

In view of the fact thatfoundation garments of this kind which are built up by pad absorb moisture and become dirty in time, it is necessa y to provide an easy means-of washing the garment. With this purpose in mind, the invention contemplates a padded foundation garment so constructed that the pad can be easily and conveniently removed while the garment is being washed and then easily and readily reinserted Whenever the garment is to be worn again.

' r In the drawing there is shown a brassire ID of relatively conventional design in place upon the bust of a wearer E2. The brassire is provided with breast pockets M placed in the usual manner and a hook arrangement I5, 86, for holding the garment at the rear.

Shoulder straps l8, I9, are shown one at each side with the parts attached respectively by loops, 20 and 2! to the top of the breast pocket at the front edge and at one side of the fastener in the rear. Adjusting buckles 22 are also provided.

A shoulder build-up pad generally designated as a shoulder pad 24 forms wportion of the shoulder strap as is apparent from an examination of the Figs; land 2. It will be noted that the shoul der pad is substantially wider at the mid-portion than the straps to which it is connected as can best be seen by Fig.4. This greatest width at the transverse axis of the pad or shoulder saddle is normally=at the apex of the shoulder of the wearer. At the ends 25 and 26 where the shoulder pad is attached to the shoulder straps l8 and I9, the width is reduced to substantially the width of the straps, the edges of the pads converging from the maximum Width of each pad at its transverse axis to the ends 25 and 26. The strap l8 and I!) are in alignment, a shown in Fig. 4. and a line connecting such straps and passing through the pad 24 may be said to be a median line or longitudinal axis of the pad.

Within the shoulder pad there is provided a pocket which is formed by placing together an upper layer of fabric 28 and a lower layer of fabric 30. The layers are of different over-all length so that the layer 28 extends in a curve above the layer 30 as best seen in Fig. 2. In practice it has been found that these layers are most suitable when they contain more than one layer of fabric as indicated in the cross-section of Fig. 3. The layers are sewed directly together at the edge 32 which is adjacent the neck wherea the edge 34 of the upper layer and the edge 36 of the lower layer are left separated and unattached.-

The shape of the open side of the shoulder pad is much like that shown in Fig. 2 when the garment is in place upon the shoulder. In order to close the open side of the shoulder pad there is provided a curtain 3B of fabric which is substantially the same shape as the opening. The curtain i customarily stitched along the line 40 to the upper layer with the stitching extending down into comers 42 and 44. The lower edge 48 of the curtain lies adjacent the edge 36 of the lower layer of fabric and is not attached thereto, thereby leaving an opening in the pocket between lower edge of the curtain and the layer of fabric. To distend the pocket there is provided a pad or bat 48 of some flluify material which will hold its shape and thickness. The pad has substantial thickness at the side adjacent the curtain and tapers to a wedge shape at the side adjacent the neck. The dimensions generally of the pad will dimensions of the fabric layers, as best shown in Fig. 4.

Certain advantages have also been found in the manner of constructing the various layersof fabric which'form the shoulder pad. The portions of fabric wall which lie adjacent the shoulder can be made so that the inner layer 50 of the fabric is of heavier material which easily holds its shape, the lower surface being covered with some softer fabric such as muslin or cambric which will lie immediately adjacent the skin. When these fabrics are stitched together, either at the edges only or by lines of stitching, (and particularly if stitched together so that the warp of one is diagonal to the warp of the other) they will more readily retain their initial shape and still conform to the contours of the wearer's shoulder.

The layers formingthe fabric wall on the top side of the pad are shown to be three in number with a reinforcing center layer 54 comprising a relatively stiff fabric which when stitched tobe about the same or slightly smaller than the gether with the other layer will tend to retain the original shape. An outer layer 56 on the upper fabric wall may be of lace or some decorative fabric.

Similarly the curtain may be provided with two or perhaps more than two layers of fabric with only the outer layer of decorative fabric similar to the layer 56 on top.

As a further strengthening effect it may become advisable to stitch the upper and lower fabric wall together between the point 26 and the point 58 at the rear side and between 25 and 59 at the front side. When the upper and lower wall are stitched together throughout this portion of their length they tend to render the shoulder pad structure considerably stiffer so that it more readily holds its original shape and form.

shoulder pad. This is done before the garment i Placed upon the wearer and is accomplished by merely separating the edges 38 and 44 and pushing the pad into the pocket formed between the upper and lower layers of fabric. As soon as the bat has been placed therein the layers are stretched out into a form substantially like the form shown in Fig. 2 and the device is placed upon the wearer.

So long as the shoulder padremains upon a shoulder the ends 25 and 28 will be kept substantially separated one from the other since they lie on opposite SidesOf the body. This means that the corners 42 and 44 will be kept stretched out and away from each other. In thi case the curtain 38 will be firmly retained in its position closing the open space between the layers 28 and 30. Although there is an unattached section between the edge 46 of the curtain and the edge 36 of the lower layer of the fabric this will not separate sufllciently to permit the thick bat to fall out so long a the garment is being worn.

The wedge-shaped bat or resilient filler within the shoulder device may be of precut or preformed sponge rubber, lambs wool, cotton batting within a textile cover, or any other yielding material capable of conforming to the contours of the shoulder.

It will be observed that the outer edges of each of the enlarged shoulder pad portions are displaced from the median of the shoulder straps a greater distance than the inner edges. ,In this manner the weight of the busts is more equally and uniformly distributed over the shoulders and the discomfort which many women experience due to the chafing and cutting action of narrow shoulder straps is obviated. Simultaneously, the shoulder has a desired square or wider contour imparted thereto. Since the upper portion or upper face of the pad-receiving element is preferably stitched to the lower element at the inner edge only, the upper face or element assumes a more horizontal position and imparts a desired square effect to the shoulders. Not only is weight more uniformly distributed over a greater area but proper contours are imparted to the silhouette. I

It is also to be noted that by embodying the pad or shaping element on the brassire shoulder straps,- it is possible to wear light garments, such as blouses, and impart thereto the desired mannish or square contour, whereas this has not been successfully accomplished heretofore. When the device of the present invention is utilized it is unnecessary to build in pads to the numerous garments which may be successively worn but instead a single, light, comfortably fitting pad imparts the desired contours to all of the garments.

It is also to be noted that the pad may be readily removed from the brassiere in order to facilitate laundering and that metallic fastener or other forms of connection are dispensed with.

I claim: I

1. A foundation garment comprising, a shoulder pad forming part of a shoulder strap for the garment adapted to be worn on the shoulder, said pad having substantial breadth between the side adjacent the neck and the edge remote from the neck, fabric material forming respectively the upper and lower faces of the pad sewed together at the'neck side and unattached at the side remote from the neck forming an opening, a fabric curtain for the opening having ends narrower than the mid-portion attached to the upper layer of fabric at the upper side edge and adapted to retain its position closing the opening while the pad is in-place for the shoulder, and a relatively stantial breadth between the side adjacent the neck and the side remote from the neck, fabric material forming respectively the upper and lower faces of the pad sewed together at the neck side and unattached at the other side forming an opening, a fabric curtain for the opening attached to the upper layer of fabric at the upper side edge and at the ends and adapted to retain its position closing the opening while the pad is in place for the shoulder, and a relatively thick absorbent bat having a position between the layers of fabric and adapted to be inserted and removed through the space at one edge of the curtain.

3. A foundation garment comprising a shoulder pad including a multiple layer of fabric forming a shoulder contacting fabric wall, the inner layer thereof being relatively stiff, a second multiple layer of fabric forming an upper fabric wall wherein an intermediate layer is relatively stiff, stitching at the edge of the fabric walls for holding said walls together at the neck side and stitching throughout a portion of the edges of the walls inward from the ends on the side remote from the neck for holding a portion of said walls together and leaving the center portions thereof unattached, said upper wall being longer than the lower wall at the center portion and forming an upward extending loop, and a curtain wall of a multiple layer of fabric positioned Within the loop and stitched to the upper fabric wall thereby forming a closure for the loop and leaving an elongated narrow opening between the free edge 6 the region of the bust and including bust-receiving pockets, the provision of: a short front shoulder strap portion connected to each bust-receiving pocket and terminating below the shoulder; relatively short back strap portions connected to rear portions of the brassire and terminating below the shoulder; length adjusting means in the front shoulder strap portions; a shoulder pad connected at its end portions to the upper ends of said short front and back strap portions, said shoulder pad including a continuous, oft fabric lower surface layer having convexedges, whereby each of said shoulder pads gradually increases and then decreases in width and is of maximum width above the shoulders, said shoulder pad being appreciably Wider than said strap portions, the outer edges of such lower surface layer being displaced outwardly to a greater extent from the median than the inner edge;'an upper surface element attached to each lower surface layer of the shoulder pad, and a removable wedge-shaped pad between said upper surface element and lower surface layer.

5. In a brassire adapted to encircle the body in the region of the bust and including bust-receiving pockets, the provision of: a short front shoulder strap portion connected to each bustof the curtain and the lower fabric wall to facilitate insertion of and removal of material from between the fabric walls.

4. In a brassire adapted to encircle the body in receiving pocket and terminating below the shoulder; relatively short back strap portions connected to rear portions of the brassiere and terminating below the shoulder, said front and back strap portions being in alignmentyand a shoulder pad connected at its end Dortionsto the .upper ends of said short front and back strap portions, said shoulder pad being appreciably wider than said strap portions and ofmaxunum width at the apex of the shoulders of the wearer, each shoulder pad including a soft fabric lower surface layer, an upper surface element attached to the lower surfacelayer and a removable wedge-shaped pad between said upper surface element and lower surface layer; the marginal edges of each pad curving from the maximum width at the apex of the shoulder to the end portions to which the strap portions are connected.

- BER'I'IE NICHOLS. 

